Hair curler



Sept. 3, 1940. R. E. SWANSON HAIR CURLER Filed Aug. 30, 1939 INVENTOR W! 5, S

ATTORNEY Patented'sept. 3, 1940 PATENT OFFICE HAIR OURLER Rudolph E. Swanson, East Providencalt. L, assignor to lnlaid Optical Corporation, a corporation of Rhode, Island Application August 30, 1939, Serial No. 292,625

'1 Claims.

My present invention relates to hair curlers, and has particular reference to a novel construction of hair curler and a. novel method of making the same.

It is the principal object of my invention to provide a hair curler which is readily colored to blend with the color of the wearer's hair.

Another object of my invention is to provide a hair curler which is non-metallic and which is readily molded from resilient material.

A further object of my invention is to provide a hair curler which is simple in construction and is easy and economical to manufacture and assemble.

An additional object of my invention is to provide a hair curler which is light and which has a minimum number of operative parts.

With the above and other objects and advantageous features in view, my invention consists of a novel arrangement of parts and a novel method of manufacture and assembly more fully disclosed in the detailed description following, in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, and more specifically defined in the appended claims.

In the drawing: i

Fig. l is a perspective view of a hair curler embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the same;

Fig. 4 is an end view of the hinge end;

- Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a modified construction of the barrel; and

Fig. 6 is a modified form of lock element.

The conventional form of hair curler includes a main barrel portion to which a clamp arm is hinged adjacent one end, and a lock element. The operation is simple; the end of the hair is placed between the barrel portion and the clamp arm and the hair is curled over both. After the end of the curl is reached, the lock element is snapped over both the curled hair and the other end of the barrel, and is worn on the hair for a suflicient length of time to set the hair in curled position. If the hair is wetted before being placed in the curler, it will retain the curl when dry. The barrel and the clamp arm are therefore provided with spaced hair holes to facilitate the drying operation.

The conventional hair curlers on the market are made or metal, preferably aluminum for lightness, and have their original metallic color. The hair curler is therefore a bright, shiny, silver color and is hard and unyielding, and can only be put in use in private. as it is unsightly. Furthermore, women usually put their hair up in the evening; it would be of great advantage, therefore, if the woman could sleep with the hair curler on her head. Hard metal curlers, however, are very uncomfortable and the edges tend 6 to scratch the scalp, as from eight to twelve curlers are used at the same time.

To overcome the disadvantages of metal curlers, I have devised a hair curler comprising a main barrel portion ID, a clamp arm II, and a 10 lock member l2, the barrel Ill being generally cylindrical in form and opening at both ends. To facilitate easy removal of the curl, the barrel II] is tapered slightly towards its free end Illa, which is provided with side notches lob between 1 oppositely disposed raised abutting portions IS. The barrel in is also provided throughout its length with conventional spaced openings M- to provide air passageways for drying, these openings being preferably circular or diamond shaped. The barrel I0 is preferably molded in one piece from any standard plastic composition such as phenol condensation products or casein products. The clamp'arm H is molded of similar material in conventional arcuate form, with ears l5 straddling the larger end of the barrel ID. The claimp arm is also slightly tapered and concave to fit snugly about the outer periphery of the barrel l0, and is also supplied with air holes IS. The clamp arm H is adapted to be swung into open position as illustrated in Fig. l, and the larger end I1 is therefore shaped to extend away from the surface of the barrel Ill for clearance, as shown in Fig. 4.

The lock member l2 comprises a color dipped resilient wire having an inwardly extending end loop l8 and side portions 19 which are bowed outwardly. The free ends of the lock member l2 are turned toward each other at right angles as at 20 and extend through the ears l5 of the clamp arm II and into the large end of the barrel Hi. The ends are then bent at right angles, as indicated at 2|, to provide a lock. The wire' frame forming the lock member l2 therefore swings pivotally in the barrel l0 and the clamp arm H also pivots upon the inturned portion 20 of the lock member 12.

The length of the loclmn er nber l2 in its normal position is selected so that when it is swung to locking engagement the loop It! does not clear the abutting end portion iii of the, barrel Ill. However, the bowed side portion l9 allows a pulling action tending to straighten the sides and thus lengthen the lock member to permit snaparound the pins and openings.

ping of the loop it into the spaceat the end of the barrel ll between the portions It. In this position, see Figs. 2 and 3, the lock member is retained in the end of the barrel II and will not come out. The bowed sides I! leave suiiicient space between the lock member i2 and the body of the hair curler for the hair of the user, the hair tending to push the sides outwardly and thus increase the docking action. To open the hair curler, it is merely necessary to press the bowed sides I! and thus lengthen the lock member I2 to permit passage of the loop II over the lock portion I l.

The hair curler of the present invention is therefore simple in construction and easy and economical to manufacture and assemble, as there are but three operative parts. The main ,body portion and the clamp arm are preferably molded from plastic composition to permit use of appropriate coloring, the coloring being of sumcient shades to match the hair of the wearer and thus render the hair curler inconspicuous. For. this purpose, I, prefer a wide range of colors such as black, brown, auburn, and various shades of blondes, to permit the buyer or user to choose the color which closely matches her hair. Furthermore, the plastic composition is not still and does not present any sharp corners, all the edges being readily molded rounded. When worn overnight, it presents a minimum of discomfort to the wearer and permits the wearer to go to business or out doors, as the hair curlers do not attract much attention. a...

While it is preferred that the barrel is be molded in one piece, manufacturing diiiiculties may sometimes render it too expensive or dimcult to do so. The construction shown in Fig. 5 may therefore be.used, the barrel being molded in two sections 22 and 23, which are complemental-y to each other ,and are identical so that only one mold is required. Each end of the section is molded with an edge opening 24 adjacent one side and an integral pin 25 on the opposite side. The other end has the side edge having the opening 24 provided with an integral pin 26 while the side edge having the integral pin 25 has an opening 21 opposite the integral pin 26. When the complementary sections 22 and 23 are placed together, the pins on one section enter the openings in the opposite section and vice versa, to interlock the sections. The two sections may be joined together by the use of heat and pressure, or by any other suitable means; I prefer, however, to use a cement thinly applied along the edges 28 and When using the modification shown in Fig. 5, it is preferable that the journal opening into which the lock member i2 is pivoted be placed at right angles to the joint, as at 29, to prevent separation of the sections by movement of the lock member. I have found that the stiiiness of the side arms I! of the lock member l2 acts as a locking force to keep the sections 22 and 23 together.

If desired, the form of lock element shown in Fig. 6 may be used for the purpose of permitting a smoother locking action. In this form, the lock element He is provided with an elongated bead Ila in the place of the lock loop ll. The

amass].

bead Ila will roll over the edges of the barrel in looking and snap into the notches llb.

The hair curler of the present invention is therefore substantial, invisible in use, is light in construction, is provided with a positive locking engagement, and is readily moldable from plastic material of suiilcient resiliency so that it can be worn at night with comfort.

While I have described specific constructional embodiments of my invention, it is obvious that changes in the size, shape, material, and ornamentation of the parts may be made to suit the requirements for different hair curlers, and that the novel construction may be applied to other articles, without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A non-metallic base for a hair curler, comprising a tubular base made in two complementary concave half-sections secured together having air passageways through the wall thereof.

2. A non-metallic base for a hair curler, comprising a tapered tubular base made in two' complementary concave half-sections secured together having air passageways through the wall thereof.

3. A non-metallic base for a hair curler, comprising a tubular base made in two complementary concave half-sections secured together and having cooperating interlocking parts having air passageways through the wall thereof.

4. A non-metallic base for a hair curler, comprising a tapered tubular base made in two complementary concave half-sections secured tqgjether and having cooperating interlocking parts having air passageways through the wall thereof.

5. The method of making a barrel for a hair curler comprising the steps of molding two half barrel portions with complementary pins and openings, cementing the edges, and placing the halves together with the pins on one half entering the openings on the other half to form a unitary tubular molded barrel.

6. In a hair curler, a molded plastic tubular base of a predetermined color, a molded plastic concave clamp arm hinged thereto at one end thereof, said clamp arm being of the same predetermined color as said base, and an extendible lock device hinged to said one end and having a projection adapted to nest in the other end of said base, said lock device being of the same predetermined color as said base and clamp arm, whereby said curler is of a predetermined color adapted to match the user's hair.

7. In a hair curler, a molded plastic tubular base of a predetermined color, said base comprising interlocking concave hali section, a molded plastic concave clamp arm hinged thereto at one end thereof, said clamp arm being of the same predetermined color as said base, and an extendible lock device hinged to said one end and having a projection adapted to nest in the other end of said base, said lock device being of the same predetermined color as said base and clamp arm, whereby said curler is of a predetermined color adapted to match the user's hair.

RUDOLPH E. SWANSON. 

